Professions

Mining

Mining is most useful when taken with
blacksmithing,
engineering,
or jewelcrafting, but the ore and gems
gathered from mineral nodes across Azeroth are useful to all production classes.
Ore and gems have excellent resale value as well.

A miner must carry a trusty Miner's Pick at all times to harvest nodes (in a pack is fine; you do not need to equip the pick). Picks may be purchased from Trade Suppliers and Mining Suppliers. Upon taking the mining skill, you gain the "Find Minerals" skill in the general tab of your spellbook. Clicking on this will highlight nearby mineral nodes in your minimap. As with all gathering skills, the Gatherer addon is extremely useful. Just right-click on a node to try to knock some ore off the node with your pick.

You also learn the skill to smelt ore into metal bars. You start with the ability to smelt copper. As your mining skill increases, you may train in skills to smelt rarer metals. In general, you may learn the skill to smelt ore at the same skill level needed to mine it. In addition, you will need to be near a forge. Forges may be found in almost any town outside of Teldrassil.

Initially, you will gain mining skill levels for smelting ore as well as mining nodes; this allows you to skill up rapidly. By the time you're mining iron, you will only gain skill points from mining. You will only have the chance to skill up on your first successful attempt on a node, but most nodes will let you harvest ore 2-4 times.

Some mobs also have enough mineral content that they either drop mineable mineral chunks or can be harvested like a node (much the the skinning skill, but requiring a Miner's Pick instead of a knife). The Obsidian Elemental guardians of Ahn'Qiraj drop mineable Obsidian Shards, for instance. Some of the Outland mobs (such as the 63+ Raging Colossus, found on Fallen Sky Ridge) are just mineable once slain. Just mouse over the body; you'll get the "gear" cursor if it's mineable.

When grouped with other miners, common courtesy requires you to discuss how to share any mineral nodes (or mobs) you find. Commonly, you either take turns collecting from the node (so that all miners can get skill ups from each node) or roll for it as you would for a chest. Even if you use rolls, each miner can take a crack at the node for skill points without looting it.

Skill

Miners gain the Toughness skill upon reaching a skill level of 75. This increases the character's maximum health. The initial increase is 30, with a maximum of 500 at skill level 450.

There are mining trainers in most of the starting zones and capital cities, with the exception of the island of Teldrassil, home to Darnassus. Teldrassil is mineral poor, as it is really just a big tree. Night elves need to make their way to Auberdine in Darkshore to learn to smelt metal. Other races can just ask a convenient guard in the cities for the nearest mining trainer. All trainers are able to train up to Artisan skill level.